Bonus Army, Part 1

William Randolph Hearst & Marion Davies

Posthip Scott sent me a story about the Depression Era Bonus Army, which got a couple of thoughts going in my head, which means I'm gonna write a post, which means I'm gonna need a picture, so I ask Google and this picture turns up.
    I've heard of William Randolph Hearst. He was a very famous and very wealthy newspaper publisher. He's famous for the Hearst Castle in San Simeon, California, and for his granddaughter Patricia of the Symbionese Liberation Front kidnapping and conversion.
    I didn't recognize Marion Davies. Turns out she was an actress and Willy's heartthrob. Also turns out she had a couple of bucks of her own:

In Hearst's declining years, Davies provided financial as well as emotional support until his death in 1951.

Waaaa? Multi-zillionaire Willy Hearst needed financial support? Oh, well, not my problem. Not sure what the connection is to the Bonus Army is, but maybe that will turn up if I pursue this subject.

Update October 2023 replaced missing link to Bonus Army story.

Beat Me Daddy, Eight to the Bar-The Andrews Sisters

I mentioned this phrase to my daughter and she wanted to know what I was talking about. I buy my kids books and send them to school but their education is sadly lacking. These gals were before my time. How is it that I know this tune? Must have been the parental unit. It's still a pretty jazzy little tune.

Szecsei & Fuchs Double Barrel Bolt Action Rifle

This unique double barrel bolt-action rifle is quite radical in design. It loads two cartridges at the same time and is the world's only repeating double rifle design.  Incorporating titanium components to reduce weight, this .416 Remington Magnum rifle has an eight-shot capacity, feeding from a beautifully engraved massive magazine assembly mounted under the receiver. Hungarian inventor Joseph Szecsei developed his innovative design after being charged simultaneously by three elephants in 1989.  - NRA National Firearms Museum (emphasis mine).

Via View From The Porch. I feel a little guilty about stealing this from Tam, but that bit about 'being charged by three elephants' just tipped me over the edge.

P.S. Click on the pic to embiggenate so you can check out the engraved pictures on the receiver.

Last Week Tonight with John Oliver (HBO): Net Neutrality

Not my usual fare, but I think Mr. Oliver pretty much covers all the bases here. Via Detroit Steve.
Update: Corrected the title.

Pic of the Day

Russian Cruiser Varyag in Shanghai in May 2014

MAD

Vandenberg Air Force Base, Calif., Feb. 3, 2014. U.S. Air Force Senior Airman Richard Graves, 576th Flight Test Squadron nuclear weapons team chief, checks the serial number of an Mk-12 re-entry vehicle. (U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Jonathan Snyder/RELEASED)

My Congressman, Earl Blumenauer, has introduced a bill to reduce the amount of money we spend on nuclear weapons. It sounds like a good idea, although it is nowhere near the kind of reduction I would like to see. It's nice to see him making an effort. I wonder if he will have any success with it. I suspect not. Anyone who has been sucking at the Federal teat for as long as the nuclear power folks have been (70 years) is going to be emotionally attached to that money and can be expected to raise a god awful fuss if anyone dares to threaten it.

     I'm beginning to think that there is a minority of our population who are on board the USS Nuclear Juggernaut that is charging full steam ahead regardless of whether that direction is benefiting anyone. Well, the people who are on board are getting first class service, fancy dinners, clothes and shows. We'll see how well they like it when the ship sails off the edge of the world. The rest of the country is going on about their business, pretty much oblivious to whatever shenanigans are going on in D.C., but as long as they have the legal authority, the ability to levy taxes, and the armed forces to back them up, things aren't going to change.

P.S. I wish people would stop referring to our nation's capital as Washington. Washington is a state right next to Oregon, and every time someone says Washington I have to stop and figure out what they are talking about. It's usually D.C. It would probably be easier to get Washington state to change its name, but I don't see that happening, so I guess I should just shut up about it. I probably won't because it's like a stone in your shoe, it irritates with every step.

P.S. I just noticed that the caption calls the device "an Mk-12", not "a Mk-12", which means they are pronouncing it 'an em kay twelve', not 'a mark twelve'. Isn't Mk pretty much understood to be an abbreviation for Mark?

Pic of the Day

An RQ-4 Global Hawk from Andersen Air Force Base, Guam is towed down the taxiway at Misawa Air Base, Japan, May 24, 2014. The RQ-4 Global Hawk is a high-altitude, long-endurance unmanned aircraft system with an integrated sensor suite that provides intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance, or ISR, capability worldwide. (U.S. Air Force photo/Staff Sgt. Nathan Lipscomb)

I knew drones came in different sizes but I didn't realize how big some of these are until I saw this photo. That thing's a friggin' monster.